PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - The 2004-05 La Salle University women's basketball squad will add for newcomers to this season's roster. Freshmen Meghan Ahl, Melanie Gibbons, Carlene Hightower and Alyse Hoover will join the ten returning players as Explorers.
Ahl is a 5-6 point guard out of Bronx, NY. She was a four year starter on the basketball team at Preston High School and holds the school record in career points with 1,449. As a senior she averaged 15.5 ppg, six assists per game, 3.2 rebounds per game and four steals per game.
Ahl earned Most Valuable Player honors all four years of her high school career. She was the recipient of several post-season awards throughout her high school career including earning New York Daily News - Bronx All-Star honors all four years. She was a three time New York Newsday - Bronx All-Star and a 2004 New York Newsday All-City honorable mention.
Following her senior season, Ahl, was named the Preston High School 2004 Lou McSwigin Award recipient, given to the most outstanding overall student athlete. She was also named to the New York State Sportswriters & Coaches Organization for Girls Sports 2004 All-State Class B First Team. A standout on the basketball court, Ahl is also an excellent student and was a member of the National Honor Society.
The Explorers have also slated Melanie Gibbons, a four year varsity letter winner at Raitan High School in Bridgewater, NJ for the upcoming season. Gibbons averaged a double double during her senior year of high school with 12.4 ppg and 10.6 rpg. She tallied 1,038 career points and 900 career rebounds while at Raitan.
Gibbons captained her team as a senior and was named the team Most Valuable Player following the season. She also earned MVP honors after her junior season. Gibbons received several post-season honors as both a junior and a senior.
As a senior Gibbons was named to the New Jersey State Senior All-Star team. She was named to the Star Ledger All-County first team as both a junior and a senior. Gibbons earned Courier News All-Area third team honors as a senior and second team as a junior. She also participated in varsity outdoor track while in high school.
Also wearing the blue and gold for the first season in 2004-05 will be Alyse Hoover. Hoover is a 2004 graduate of Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon, PA. While at Cedar Crest she tallied 2,088 career points and averaged 18.7 ppg her senior season. Hoover also pulled down an impressive six rebounds per game, five assists per game and three steals per game.
Hoover was named to both the Section I All-Star team and the Lancaster-Lebanon All-Star team in 2004. As a senior she also earned a spot on the District 3 all-district team. The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association named Hoover to its second team.
Hoover was honored by two of her local newspapers being named to the District 3 Supreme Team by the York Paper and to the Patriot News Big 15 squad.
The final newcomer to the 2004-05 squad is Carlene Hightower, a local product ut of Archbishop Prendergast High School right here in Philadelphia, PA. Hightower was a four year letter winner at Prendergast.
As a senior, Hightower also averaged a double double every game as she pulled down 10 rebounds per game and averaged 22.2 ppg. Hightower earned All-Catholic League honors as a sophomore, junior and senior. She also garnered All-Delaware County honors as a junior and senior.
